Saskatchewan is the only province with three straight years of job losses

According to the latest employment numbers released by Statistics Canada, while the Sask. Party has been bringing in cruel and heartless cuts and unfair tax hikes, Saskatchewan has become the worst province in Canada for jobs. In fact, Saskatchewan is the only province that saw three straight years of negative job growth.

“Other provinces have invested in creating and protecting jobs while the Sask. Party has pushed ahead with their cruel and heartless cuts and massive tax hikes,” said NDP Jobs Critic Vicki Mowat. “It’s not hard to look across the country – including the rest of the Western provinces – and realize that it’s the Sask. Party’s mismanagement of the economy that is making it harder for Saskatchewan people to find and keep work.”

In an attempt to avoid being held responsible for yet another SaskPower rate hike, the Sask. Party waited until after the Premier had finished speaking with the media to admit that they were imposing the third rate increasing in less than two years.

“These rising rates make it harder for Saskatchewan families to make ends meet and they hurt the bottom line of businesses who are also being stretched by the Sask. Party’s PST hike,” said NDP SaskPower Critic Cathy Sproule. “While the Sask. Party keeps dumping money into their carbon capture debacle, they’re making Saskatchewan ratepayers pay what has become a $1.5 billion job-killing carbon capture tax.”

While the Sask. Party focusses on electing their next leader and the next Premier, Saskatchewan people are paying the price for a decade of the Sask. Party mismanaging the economy, and the heartless cuts and unfair tax hikes in the Sask. Party’s last budget. More and more Saskatchewan people are losing their jobs and over 50 per cent more Saskatchewan people felt compelled to leave our province in 2017 than did in 2007, when the Sask. Party were first elected.

“While other provinces are growing their economy and creating more jobs, Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate is the highest it’s been in two decades. For the first time in over 40 years, Saskatchewan's unemployment rate is higher than the national average,” said NDP Jobs Critic Vicki Mowat. “The fact is, the Sask. Party’s mismanagement of the economy and the cruel and heartless decisions they made in their last budget are forcing a growing number of Saskatchewan people to leave the province to find work.”

Recently released school division annual reports show that, even before the Sask. Party’s most recent heartless budget, Sask. Party cuts to education had already resulted in more than $23 million being cut from the funding that went directly into teaching children in Saskatchewan classrooms last year.

“Despite the Sask. Party’s claims, their cuts are hitting our kids’ classrooms. It’s right there in black and white; the money available for instruction – teaching our kids – has been cut,” said Education Critic Carla Beck. “On top of the $23 million in instruction that was cut last year, the Sask. Party used their heartless budget to cut another $55 million from education this year. The Sask. Party mismanaged the finances but it’s our kids who are paying the price.”

After weeks of refusing to provide any concrete evidence to support their ban of Alberta license plates at Saskatchewan work sites, and just hours before leaving the Saskatchewan people on the hook for a potential $5 million fine, the Sask. Party have made it clear they had no credible justification or defense for their actions and have backed-down on their ban.

“From the beginning, it’s been clear that the Sask. Party had no justification for this attack. Now, even after backing down, they’re still playing games. We should be able to expect better from our government,” said NDP Deputy House Leader Carla Beck. “With unemployment rates hitting 20 year highs and small businesses struggling with PST hikes the Sask. Party needs to stop the posturing and chest thumping and just finally admit they were wrong.”